Protoss
The Protoss '''are a sentient humanoid race native to Aiur. They are technologically advanced and rely on psionic abilities and cybernetics in battle. They are the primary opponents of the zerg. The protoss of Aiur are highly religious and follow a strict code known as the Khala.[1] The protoss have mastered their psionic powers and were recently engaged in a devastating war with the zerg. They have also had to deal with civil wars within their ranks. Protos in Greek means 'first'. This name is supposedly given because the protoss were the first semi-successful xel'naga creation. The protoss were later deemed a failure by the greater species, leading to the engineering of the zerg. '''History The protoss were discovered by the xel'naga on Aiur, a world the xel'naga had previously engineered. The xel'naga, who were nearing the end of their life cycle, were in need of a race to achieve purity of form and intrigued by their mental connection, chose to use the protoss. Pushing the evolution of the protoss, the purity of form was achieved and the xel'naga eventually descended to Aiur. The protoss, who revered the xel'naga as gods, learned much from them. However, these discoveries divided the protoss, causing their psychic links to disappear and wars to break out amongst them. The xel'naga left the planet as the protoss fell into the Aeon of Strife. The destructive civil war ended when Khas, using xel'naga-derived artifacts called khaydarin crystals, re-created the psionic link. It became the basis of a new philosophy called the Khala. Approximately 1500 by terran reckoning, the Conclave attempted to exterminate rogue heretics who had deliberately cut themselves off from the Khala and would later become known as the Dark Templar. They ordered Executor Adun to execute them, but Adun refused, instead teaching the rogues to hide from the Conclave. Eventually the rogues lost control of their powers, alerting the Conclave. They were secretly banished on a xel'naga ship By 2499 the protoss became aware of a xenomorphic threat, the zerg, another alien species also created by the xel'naga. The zerg were attacking the terrans, a species which had traveled to the Koprulu Sector two hundred years previously. The Conclave dispatched Tassadar and a force of protoss to destroy the infestation by purifying the infested worlds. Tassadar's force failed in its mission, and the remnants traveled to the new zerg homeworld, Char. There, Tassadar struck an alliance with the Dark Templar prelate, Zeratul. They discovered a weakness in the zerg command structure which could be exploited only by the Dark Templar, and clashed with their new leader, Infested Kerrigan. Meanwhile, the majority of the zerg force traveled to Aiur. The protoss were losing the battle, but when Tassadar brought Zeratul to Aiur, a protoss civil war broke out between Tassadar's followers and the followers of the Conclave. Eventually Tassadar's faction won. Unimpeded by the Conclave, Tassadar's followers attacked the Overmind itself. Tassadar died during the battle. The majority of protoss on Aiur were killed. The protoss fled to Shakuras, followed by a zerg faction. The protoss destroyed the renegade zerg, saving themselves but advancing Infested Kerrigan's aims. With the assistance of her enigmatic minion Samir Duran, she would later force the protoss into destroying the second Overmind for her, making her the sole leader of the Zerg Swarm. As the protoss attempted a revenge strike on Kerrigan, Duran abandoned her to conduct protoss/zerg hybridization experiments, which were discovered by Zeratul. The latter exiled himself for several years following the discovery. Physiology Protoss are about three meters tall and have two glowing eyes, digitigrade legs, semi-permeable skin covered in scales, four digits on their hands (of which two are thumbs) and toes, broad chests and shoulders, and narrow waists with slim midsections. Extending back from the crown of the head, protoss have a bony crest. Beneath it, emerging from the back of the head, are the nerve cords, allowing them to access their racial psionic gestalt. This gestalt is the basis of the Khala. The xel'naga considered these beings to have purity of form as the protoss are incredibly adaptable to harsh natural conditions and climates, and their strength and speed were unparalleled amongst the other races known to the xel’naga. Protoss even have sharp claws, which can be deadly weapons if a protoss is caught unarmed. Protoss derive sustenance from light, capable of living off of moonlight (reflected sunlight), and can go without light for extended periods of time. What little water they need is absorbed through the skin. The Dark Templar modified themselves biologically and used other techniques to survive on the formerly lightless world of Shakuras. The protoss used to hunt, but they did so to collect the blood and hides of animals for various purposes, not for sustenance. Protoss hear and smell through their skin, and it is believed that their primary sense is sight. Protoss have a sense of smell sharp enough to identify other protoss and see very well at night. A protoss' skin color may change in response to changes in its emotions. They are bereft of mouths, noses, or visible ears and are without a sense of taste. Protoss sleep and dream in a manner similar to humans. A protoss' average life expectancy is about a thousand years; Raszagal, aged 1045, was considered old. Protoss under 300 years rarely have any significant political positions. Artanis, who was 262 years old during the Brood War, is considered young, despite his powerful military position. Protoss are not a prolific people and the xel'naga even developed an artifact, the Kassia crystal, to counteract this. The population of Aiur, however, had reached billions. Before the Fall of Aiur, the protoss population was in decline due to systematic extermination; the protoss were passing away from sheer age. Protoss blood is blue or purple. As in humans, coloration is considered a sign of ethnicity, with each protoss tribe having a specific subtly differing hue or typical pattern of markings associated with it. As with terrans and zerg, protoss genetic material consists of DNA with helix strands. There is evidence that the protoss have yet to unlock their full genetic potential, but this theory died along with the Protoss Advance/Experimental Facility. Medical Care On the battlefield protoss warriors are known to fight with tremendous power and grace, but despite the chaos they inflict on their enemies they are capable of being mortally wounded. When a protoss nears death, their foes often bear witness to a startling flash of bright light as the protoss warrior seemingly disappears. Primitive races are known to quail in superstitious fear upon seeing this, but it is actually another aspect of protoss technology at work rather than any sort of supernatural feat. Protoss armor is typically equipped with a complex teleportation mechanism that can detect when its wearer is grievously injured and automatically teleports the warrior to the nearest safe haven. This of course is dependent on the mechanism being fully functional, as there is the risk of being damaged during combat. Those protoss who are too badly injured after the battle but still wish to continue fighting are placed within the shell of a dragoon or immortal, which allows them to serve their brethren on the battlefield. The choice is left to each individual protoss; whether to continue service or join with their ancestors in the Khala. Protoss that suffer injuries to their psionic appendages (such as the Nerazim) attach clamps to the remnants in order to prevent energy bleed. Terran understanding of protoss physiology is limited. Their respective biologies are similar enough for substances and drugs, such as Sundrop and a medic's medicine to affect both. Mental Abilities Protoss are extraordinarily focused, to a degree unmatched by humans. Their powerful psionic abilities extend further than that of human ghosts. The protoss brain is similar in structure to a human brain. The most noticeable differences lie in the cerebellum, primarily in its size — it is elongated in comparison to humans. Protoss are natural mind-readers. Protoss must learn to filter the thoughts they read and filter (or block) the thoughts that they release (which would prevent other protoss from reading their minds). The ability to block thoughts is compromised by the Khala, which prevents the protoss which follow that philosophy from hiding from each other. During the Aeon of Strife, Protoss regularly used their mind-screening abilities to ambush each other. Protoss can use their psionic abilities to shield themselves, charge their tools and weapons, and to make, manipulate or meld matter. At least some of these abilities can only be used by a small minority of protoss without technological assistance (such as the creation of shields). Protoss can sometimes access memories and strands of experience from protoss who have died and entered the Khala, but only preservers have full access to this knowledge. Protoss warriors can learn from the spirits of fallen warriors at the Templar Archives. Communication Protoss can communicate telepathically with each other. They can do so through "speaking", a method that transmits little or no emotional content. Using their nerve cords they can also communicate in a manner which enables them to sense each others' emotions, a key part of their psionic gestalt, the Khala. During the Aeon of Strife this ability had fallen into disuse, but was restored by the mystic Khas. Protoss who follow the Khala use both methods of communication. Dark Templar ritually sever their nerve cords, which prevents the emotional link. Protoss can create a special kind of mind-meld deep within the Khala, where no one can lie. Protoss performing this kind of mind-meld hold up their hands and face their palms to each other; both palms softly glow. This kind of communication was also possibly held between Executor Adun and Raszagal, the latter not following the Khala. Protoss "speak" a language called Khalani, communicating through telepathic bursts. The privacy of the conversation is up to those involved on it. Even through communication, pain can be caused via this telepathy via mental spikes. Terrans exposed to protoss communication often hear nearly meaningless sounds. However, at least some protoss have the ability to "translate" the thoughts into a form which a terran can understand. The protoss of the Aeon of Strife did not understand the concept of non-psionic communication. Khas effectively (re-)created the concept of reading and writing, a necessity for translating some xel'naga relics. In addition to telepathy, protoss possess a degree of body language used in conveying feelings, intent, etc. For instance, a bob of the head and movement of a protoss' nerve chords is a sign of contempt. Bowing of the head, shaking and/or mottling of the skin is a sign of emotional distress. Culture Protoss culture is built around core philosophies that have been rigidly adhered to for over a millenium. As such, it is difficult for their society to adapt to changing circumstances. The intergration of Khalai and Nerazim is a case in point in different cultural values. Female protoss rarely attain positions of power, except among the Nerazim. They are rare among the Templar Caste and were never part of the Conclave. Many protoss have a prejudice against female terrans, as the only one they've had much contact was Kerrigan (contrasted to Jim Raynor). Castes ''' The '''Judicator Caste is a collection of protoss tribes, acting as leaders and statesmen of the protoss. The other two Castes are the Templar Caste(the warriors) and the Khalai Caste (the workers).The Judicators, descended from the first tribes to join the Khala at the end of the Aeon of Strife, were selected by Khas and his students to act as leaders. Before the outbreak of war with the zerg, the Judicators controlled protoss society for thousands of years, often through the use of subtle psionics. With few exceptions, members of the Judicator Caste avoid fighting, as they are more concerned with leadership, religion, and organization. However, members of the Ara Tribe formed the Conclave's guard. Before the advent of the Khala, each tribe had a definite proclivity or strength. The dictates of the Khala advised a three caste system, which each tribe fit easily into. The Judicator Caste banned all xel'naga teachings but continued to allow the Shelak Tribe to access the archives. The Judicator Caste was controlled by the Judicator Assembly, which is in turn governed by a body called the Conclave. The Conclave were a group of elders, chosen for their wisdom, knowledge of the Khala and adherence to the rules. The Ara Tribe dominated the assembly and thus the Conclave The Templar Caste is a collection of protoss warrior tribes. Descended from great warrior tribes from the Aeon of Strife, these were selected by Khas and his students to act as warriors. The other two castes are the Judicator Caste (leaders) and Khalai Caste (workers). Templar are trained from youth to harness fear and to give their lives if necessary. Members of the Templar Caste who are particularly skilled psychics are known as high templar. Both high templar and any member of the Templar Caste are sometimes simply referred to as "Templar". The Templar Caste is led by an executor. At various times there have been multiple executors. Before the advent of the Khala, each tribe had a definite proclivity or strength. The dictates of the Khala advised a three caste system, which each tribe fit easily into. The Templar tribes were those who had great physical prowess or agility, or tended towards strategy. In the early days of the Khala, they fought to protect the new protoss culture from those who disagreed with it. When the battles ended, the Templar defended their people from fearsome fauna and later from hostile alien beings while settling their colonies. Even in times of peace, rare as they were, Templar would train constantly. Before the Fall of Aiur, members of the Templar Caste would often make pilgrimages to various sacred sites on the planet. In the early phases of the Great War, the Templar deployed the Koprulu Expeditionary Force to combat the zerg infestation on the terran worlds. After the fighting on the terran worlds abated, the fleet's commander, Executor Tassadar, opted to follow the zerg to Char rather than return to Aiur taking only his command ship with him. The Templar were engaged during the zerg invasion of Aiur. Uninspiring leadership by the Conclave hampered their efforts. Further difficulties arose with the return of Tassadar and the short lived civil war which further divided the Templar's resources. Ultimately the battle was lost and the Khalai were forced to abandon Aiur for Shakuras. During the Brood War many Templar rallied to Judicator Aldaris in an abortive uprising against Matriarch Raszagal. In the years after the conflict, the Templar often called for a return to Aiur. In 2502, the Templar were quick to respond to resurgent zerg activity in the Koprulu Sector. They secured the xel'naga temple on Artika from the Terran Dominion and the zerg Swarm. Currently, the Templar are working with/under the Daelaam. The Khalai Caste 'are the working class of the protoss. Artisans, scientists and builders, they form the great majority of the protoss population. Their vital contributions are valued by the other protoss. The other two Castes are the Templar Caste (the warriors) and the Judicator Caste (the leaders). Before the advent of the Khala, each tribe had a definite proclivity or strength. The dictates of the Khala advised a three caste system, which each tribe fit easily into. The vast majority of protoss tribes were collected under the Khalai Caste. Despite the caste's non-combatant role, the Great War signalled the beginning of changing times for the Khalai Caste, the role of a warrior among them. The Furinax Tribe fought for the Protoss Conclave against Fenix and Jim Raynor when they tried to free Tassadar from his trial for treason. As the war on Aiur continued against the zerg and the number of Templar diminished, many Khalai were forced to bear arms, the Shel'na Kryhas being a prime example. Members of the Khalai Caste continue to dwell on protoss colony worlds. However, they became the target of the Terran Dominion, many Khalai being abducted for experimentation in Project Gestalt. '''Religion ' Modern protoss religion has its roots in the Aeon of Strife, the period of chaos following the retreat of the xel'naga. At the end of the Strife, the protoss were reunited under the precepts of the Khala ("Path to Ascension") as promoted by the mystic Khas. The Khala took advantage of the natural psionic communal link and established a caste system. Protoss can be fanatical when it comes to their religious beliefs. Not all protoss embraced the Khala. These outcasts, eventually known as the Dark Templar, were later banished from Aiur. The '''Khala ("Path of Ascension") is the main religion of the protoss. It is based on a psionic philosophy that maintains a communal psionic link between all adherents. Followers are known as Khalai. Followers are further subdivided into at least five level of adepts. Uses ' It is impossible for Khalai to hide from one another due to the empathic link. Hiding was possible for all protoss during the Aeon of Strife when the link was suppressed. Non-adherents, like the Dark Templar may still conceal themselves from other protoss. The depth of the link varies according to personal choice. Generally it is difficult to be fully immersed in a state of unity all the time. Members of the Templar and Judicator Castes immerse themselves deeply several times per day, along with many Khalai, "nourishing" themselves through the rich contact and emerging refreshed and invigorated. The discipline of the Khala is required to control abilities such as the psionic storm. The Khala grants a protoss an enormous amount of psionic energy. Protoss cut off from the Khala are quickly embraced by the Void. The drug Sundrop is capable of doing this, at the cost of mental imbalance. The fortitude of the Khala protects protoss from assimilation by the zerg. ' Memory Preservation ' Khalai "enter" the Khala upon death but do not remain as complete or coherent entities. Their last thoughts are automatically gained by protoss in close proximity to the deceased. As a result Khalai may access memories and strands of experience of dead Khalai through the Khala, sometimes with the aid of the templar archives. However, only preservers have full access to this knowledge. The memories of other protoss (such as the Dark Templar) cannot be accessed using these methods, but the memories of the Tal'darim of Aiur, who had been cut off from the Khala, still were. '''Communication within the Khala ' Protoss can communicate using a mental link (which transmits emotions) or simply through "speaking" (another form of mental link). Protoss can create a special kind of mind-meld deep within the Khala, where no one could lie. Protoss performing this kind of mind-meld hold up their hands and face their palms to each other; both palms softly glow. This kind of communication was also possible between Adun and Raszagal, the latter not following the Khala. 'Combining with the Void ' Utilizing the Void and Khala simultaneously grants protoss incredible power, but can result in the protoss burning out like a star. Protoss who can utilize both sets of power simultaneously are exceedingly rare. Known practitioners were Adun and Tassadar. 'Factions ' The extent to which the protoss have been a unified people has waxed and waned over time. Originally tribal based, the protoss settled under centralized rule with the coming of the xel'naga, only to revert back to tribalism in the Aeon of Strife, only to once again be unified after thousands of years. Under the Khala, the Khalai formed the caste-based Protoss Empire while those who refused to submit became the outcast Nerazim. In the aftermath of the Brood War, both lines of protoss were united under the Protoss Protectorate. However, internal tension once again led to tribalismand their civilization fractured. The Tal'darim stand apart from their fellow protoss, imprisoning any protoss that opposes them. 'Technology ' Protoss technology is a blend of psionics and mundane technologyand has shown itself to be far more advanced than many other species of the galaxy, including humanity. Some of their technology requires vespene gas as a catalyst. Protoss armor contains teleportation technology which whisks the warrior away to safety when they are injured to the point of death. Injured and crippled protoss can be transformed into cybernetic warriors. Due to their low population, the protoss frequently use robots in their military. Protoss pilots are an integral part of their ship, and using it drains their energies. '''Units Archons can be formed by merging any combination of two high templar and/or dark templar. Against mass air units such as the mutalisks, the archon remains one of the best counters alongside the high templar's psionic storm. Archons are strong against zealots and mutalisks, and weak against thors, immortals, and ultralisk. Archons have no special abilities or energy meter. They also have no type besides "psionic" and "massive", which means that no unit deals extra damage to them other than void rays (20% vs massive), as corruptors cannot target ground units. The carrier '''is a protoss heavy air unit. Carriers are large, heavily armoured and shielded warships. They form the core of the Great Fleet, serving as command centres for fleet commanders, though some terrans think this position will be taken by the void ray. Carriers lack weapon batteries or armaments, though possess energy weaponry fired from their bows, used in the purification of planets. Additionally, the carrier's ability to unleash swarms of computer controlled interceptors makes it devastating in ship to ship battle. The carrier's hangars can store other craft such as Scouts and Arbiters. Carriers are capable of making jumps through warp space and can operate in both atmospheric and deep space conditions. When not on the bridge, a carrier commander is entitled to his/her own quarters The '''interceptor is a type of protoss robotic strike craft. They are the primary weapon of carriers. Interceptors are fast, manoeuvrable, computer-guided strike craft. They may deploy to engage enemy strike craft or ground units. The plasma charges of a flight of interceptors may threaten capital ships. Carriers manufacture interceptors. When deployed the strike craft attack and retreat rapidly to the carrier for repairs and rearmament. The details of the smooth orchestrated employment of carrier-borne interceptors is a matter of interest to terran scientists. The colossus is a massive protoss robotic walker. It is designed to destroy large numbers of weaker ground targets. The colossus is an antiquated protoss war machine, dating back to the Kalath Intercession. It is a towering construct, striding across the battlefield on four tall, slender legs which give it an extremely high level of mobility. The great height of the machine allows it to step up and down cliffs and other steep elevations with little difficulty, and gives it a dominating field of fire. The heavily armored hull of the colossus carries two powerful thermal lances: one mounted on each side of its body. Complex focusing and targeting systems are used to pinpoint the continuous damage output of the thermal lances for optimal efficiency. A colossus's beam cuts a fiery swathe of destruction through multiple enemies with each firing cycle able to reduce a group of marines to ashes in an instant. The colossus can be transported by the warp prism, which transforms it and other transported units into energy. The colossus is feared for being a war machine, and some protoss believe they cannot be controlled and could turn against them. The colossus is unique in that it was created purely as a war machine, in contrast to most protoss automatons which were mainly created for industrial and/or resource gathering purposes. Such a trait was demonstrated by the mass slaughter carried out against the kalathi, appalling the protoss. As such, the Conclave outlawed the manufacture of colossi, and existing machines were deactivated before being sealed away. Some were sent to distant asteroids and uninhabited moons. Others were stored on Aiur, some underwater, awaiting a signal from a beacon. The war against the zerg, however, prompted the return of the colossi to the protoss arsenal. In 2503, the protoss began collecting them using coordinates collected from a preserver, hoping to use them in the fight against the zerg despite misgivings. Dark templar are protoss stealth infantry. They were present as special units in the original StarCraft and could be built in the sequel. Dark templar are represented as permanently cloaked infantry with extremely powerful attacks. Dark templar are permanently cloaked, like observers, and their effectiveness is heavily dependent on it. If the enemy has adequate detection capabilities it is more efficient to attack with predominantly zealots. Although zealots deal significantly less damage, they are more likely to survive the charge and last long enough to make a difference (as well as being much less expensive). Dark templar used powerful warp blades, based on modified psi blade technology. The single-blade design was originally intended for Zeratul's character only, but due to time constraints, the same unit design was used for all dark templar. The high templar in StarCraft II is a psi caster with no attack. It retains the Psionic Storm ability, which must be researched at the templar archives. High templar are strong against marines, sentries, stalkers, and hydralisks, and weak against ghosts, zealots, colossi, and roaches. High templar have no standard attacks. The immortal is a protoss cybernetic war machine. Historically, crippled veteran templar could volunteer to continue serving by being transplanted into dragoon exoskeletons. This honoured tradition was broken by the fall of Aiur when the shrine dedicated to dragoon creation was infested by the zerg. Following the Brood War, crippled templar were transplanted into the new immortal exoskeletons instead. The first were in service by 2502. The remaining dragoons were transformed into immortals. Immortals are outfitted with two twin phase disruptors as their primary attack form; they give critical fire support to legions of zealots against ground targets, deployed when the protoss are faced with heavy enemy firepower and are even able to shrug off rounds fired by siege tanks. When deployed, immortals give critical support by eliminating enemy artillery and ranged attackers. However, the specially hardened energy shields of immortals only activate when struck by powerful attacks, which leaves them more vulnerable to the pinprick attacks of lesser foes. Ultimately, immortals are a dying breed. Soon, none will remain. The''' mothership''' is a powerful protoss capital ship. Motherships are mighty protoss support vessels. At the heart of each mothership is a huge khaydarin crystal infused with an incredible amount of psionic energy. By tapping into this energy, a mothership can warp or crack the very fabric of space-time itself. The devastating power of a mothership can wipe out squadrons of enemy ships in the blink of an eye or lay waste to entire planets. Other aspects of a mothership's interior include a waking chamber for its commander, crew quarters and a med-bay. A number of escape pods are also featured. A single crew member can pilot the ship for simple warps. More complex operations require a crew. The motherships were designed by Juras, and constructed during the protoss Golden Age of Expansion as deep space exploration vessels. The Templar Caste successfully petitioned for modifications; the final design included weapons and some were eventually converted into military command ships. The surviving motherships were not recalled at the end of the Golden Age. Most were left at the farthest reaches of protoss exploration as titanic monuments and holy shrines, commemorating an honored way of life and a proud period of history. The crews were placed in stasis, although it was expected the ships would not be needed again. High templar Rihod's mothership remained active. Its crew assisted lower-technology aliens who had been struck by a disaster. The zerg attack on Aiur during the Great War reversed forced a re-evaluation. The motherships were recalled to service by high templar Erekul. However, it was too late for the ships to alter the course of the war. Amongst the reactivated ships was Moratun, the original mothership and crewed solely by Juras. Moratun rescued zealots from a besieged colony before traveling to Aiur. The ship, and other empty motherships, arrived inAiur's star system only after the Khalai evacuation to Shakuras. The ships were forced to find the Dark Templar homeworld by themselves. The fleet was manned by the few survivors that could be found. Rihod's mothership was not brought to Aiur, for fear it could be lost in combat. The motherships were reunited with the protoss during the Interbellum and taken over by the Templar Caste. The mothership is a high-value support unit. Only one of the expensive ships may be deployed at a time. It behaves like the Arbiter: it cloaks and recalls friendly units, and may temporarily disable units. The ship's long ranged attack allows it to contribute firepower from behind the front; it may also fire on the move. Vikings, corruptors, and void rays, are effective counters. It may also fall to an infestor's neural parasite, followed by a hijacked vortex against its former allies, leaving the mothership defenceless. The mothership's use in multiplayer is often discouraged due to its high cost, position on the tech tree, vulnerability to focus firing, low mobility, and their relatively low damage output. Category:Enemy Faction Category:Ancient Faction Category:Allied Faction Category:Species Category:Enemy Species Category:Starcraft Category:Starcraft species